Author Series Gordan Korman 3.jpg

Hinson LTD Public Relations

The New Albany Scholars Author Residency Program

Offering more than the written word and inspirational speakers

by

It hit him out of nowhere – Lance White was sitting in the crowd at New Albany’s Remarkable Evening with Craig Mohre as Michael Beschloss, author of Flag of Our Fathers, spoke about his work as a writer.

“I lean over to Craig and go, ‘You know, … I read my son books every night and he’s two, I wonder what it would cost to bring in one of the authors who writes one of his books to speak at the library,’” White says.

White laughs recalling the conversation and how he underestimated the cost to bring in an author for a speaking engagement, but that idea stuck, and in 2011 the New Albany Scholars Author Residency Program began.

An Enrichening Experience

The New Albany Scholars Author Residency Program is a way to connect students with authors they may be learning about in the classroom and engage their love and passion for reading. It provides a tangible look into the world of a writer.

“We are so fortunate to make this experience happen not just for students but for staff as well,” says Kirsten Klink, K-6 librarian at New Albany-Plain Local Schools. “We work so hard to establish a love of reading, and for the students to see that there are real individuals involved in the process is just an enrichening experience.”

The author series is held at all New Albany school buildings and through the years authors including Dave Pilky of Captain Underpants have visited. But often, the program tries to bring authors who students are unfamiliar with.

“We have definitely grown in terms of the types of authors we bring, we aren’t just taking local or well-known authors,” Brooke Shackelford, grades 7-12 librarian at NAPLS, says. “It really makes it more of an authentic learning experience and gives them more of that reason and push behind what we are doing.”

When authors like Clarence Jones, former personal counsel advisor and draft speechwriter for Martin Luther King Jr., or cancer survivor and world-renowned adventurer Sean Swarner, visit and tell their stories, it gives the students a message of perseverance.

Swarner was diagnosed with and beat cancer twice, going on to climb all 29,035 feet to the top of Mount Everest with one lung. It is stories like these that White believes are the most important for young students to hear.

“It’s the story we want to tell our students, ‘don’t give it up, stick it out,’” White says. “If you believe in something, take it to the next level.”

Beyond the Pages

The program continues to grow each year and students are always eager to learn who will be visiting.

Within the middle school and high school, the author series is now part of summer reading programs and is a great tie into the classwork that follows. Authors will often spend additional time with students.

“Not only do these authors help the schools come up with really good ideas of things to do, but you also give the kids an opportunity to interact with the author,” White says. “If we can have the author in the classroom, students are going to have the opportunity to learn how these authors are thinking and create stories.”  

Aside from the talks and interactions students get to have with the authors, White helps fund a scholarship for students centered on the author series.

Students are asked to create a video or write an essay focused on the author talk and winners are typically awarded a $500 scholarship toward a 529 plan.

“Not only has it been great to give back and help the students of New Albany and give them these interactions with authors, but for me and other families, we also get a chance to meet these authors and really get inspired,” White says.

Community-Wide Support

Since 2011, the community support for the series is immeasurable. In addition to the school district, White and the New Albany Community Foundation, the New Albany Women’s Network and PTO have played vital roles in the development of this program.

“The support we receive continues to allow us to make sure we have authors in each school building and allows us a little more freedom to bring authors that are really going to benefit students and staff,” Shackelford says.

“We are so fortunate to do this because I know some districts may have to wait several years,” Klink adds.

As the authors series continues, anticipation continues to grow among the children. It’s not only a different way to engage students in the classroom, but it offers students a sense of hope.

“We’ve all had those hurricanes in life, you go through all these things and it’s all about how you get through it and persevere,” White says. “Books and stories help all walks of life.”

The Power of Connection

Recently, Jarrett Krosoczka, author of the Lunch Ladies series, visited NAPLS. The students really enjoyed the visit and even had their own lunch lady celebration. In an effort to show their appreciation, students made artwork and wrote letters to thank their school lunch ladies for their work.

“The lunch ladies were crying; they were never thanked for what they do,” Klink says. “It was so powerful.”

Shackelford was the librarian at New Albany Middle School in 2013 when Sharon Draper came to visit. Draper is the author of the Hazelwood High Trilogy.

Recently, Shackelford was hosting a book talk with the seniors at New Albany High School when a student came up to her and started asking if she could help her find a certain series of books.

“She told me that there was this book and she read the first one, … It was a series and the book had a red cover. That is the worst thing a librarian can hear,” Shackelford says, laughing about not having enough information to help.

The student mentioned that the author visited her middle school five years prior and Shackelford immediately knew who it was.

“I told her, ‘Oh, you mean Sharon Draper, that’ll be Forged by Fire and this is book No. 2,’” Shackelford says. “She had been thinking of the book for five years, it’s moments like that. It sticks with them and she’s still interested.”

Rocco Falleti is an associate editor. Feedback welcome at rfalleti@cityscenecolumbus.com